Today we’d like to introduce you to Dom Cacho Jr
Hi Dom, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Cleveland. I’ve have always loved creating, my first ever piece of content was a travel video of a family trip to the Philippines, filmed entirely on my phone.
I invested in my first camera, a Sony a6000. I taught myself photography—learning composition, camera settings, and editing.
Over time, I started getting small gigs from friends and family. I reached out to friends to model, and as I grew my network—meeting other photographers and attending meetups—my passion deepened. I attended Cleveland State University in 2019, where I became Public Relations Manager for the Vietnamese Student Association and interned for CSU’s social media team. During this time, I also collaborated with friends under the name SWEET N SPICY, creating content and expanding my creative circle.
In 2022, ILTHY’s CEO, Kumar Arora, reached out and offered me an internship as their photographer and content creator. This gave me hands-on industry experience and new opportunities to refine my craft. By 2023, I was offered a full-time role at Kumar’s marketing agency, UNDERDOGS, where I expanded my work beyond ILTHY, creating content for other brands and growing faster than ever as a creative.
Today, I still work at UNDERDOGS, producing content for ILTHY and other clients. Even with my full-time role, I continue to shoot photos and videos outside of work, taking on personal projects and client work whenever I can.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I struggled with finding my path in life. Even though I loved creating, I felt pressured to follow the “traditional” route—go to college, and get a good-paying job—because I thought that was the only way to succeed.
Growing up, I was shy and lacked confidence, but over the years, I’ve changed a lot. While I still prefer a night in over a party, I now love to new people, collaborate, and connect with like-minded creatives. I’ve gained confidence, learned to understand myself, and embraced who I am.
I’m incredibly grateful for the support I had early in my journey—huge thanks to my friends and family who believed in me since day one.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Cleveland-based photographer specializing in portrait and lifestyle photography. I work at UNDERDOGS, a full-service marketing and branding firm, where I primarily shoot for ILTHY, handling much of the photography you see on their site and Instagram. I also take on freelance projects outside of work.
I’m probably best known for my work with ILTHY, shooting collaborations with the Browns, Guardians, Cavs, Transformers, Tetris, NASA, Cheez-It, and more.
While I’m proud of my work at ILTHY, my personal projects mean just as much to me. I love collaborating with like-minded creatives and bringing ideas to life.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
AI has been on my mind a lot lately, especially for creators working in digital media. I think AI will only get bigger and become a necessity for one’s creative workflows. When used correctly, it can help you stand out—but if misused, it can just as easily ruin credibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.domcvisuals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domdedum
